New Head of Indian Navy Selected

Two months following the abrupt resignation of the head of the Indian Navy, the Indian Ministry of Defense announced a new chief of naval staff.

Adm. Robin Dhowan took charge of the service on Thursday two months after the previous chief of naval staff resigned after a string of accidents.

Former chief of naval staff Adm. DK Joshi left the service in February after, “taking moral responsibility” for ten accidents in seven months — including a fire onboard submarine INS Sindhurakshakwhich killed 18 sailors in August.
Most recently an accident on the attack submarine INS Sindhuratna resulted in the death of two officers.

Dhowan had previously served as the vice chief of staff of the service.
His selection to the position might cause some controversy in the Indian Navy, according to local press reports.

“The Ministry of Defense’s decision to appointment Adm. Dhowan is a rare departure from the decades-old principle that the senior-most officer eligible is appointed service chief,” according to a Thursday report in The Hindu “The last departure from the seniority principle in the navy was made in 1990, when Adm. Laxminarayan Ramdas was made chief ahead of his immediate senior, Adm. S. Jain.”

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About Sam LaGrone

Sam LaGrone is the USNI Online Editor at the U.S. Naval Institute.
He was formerly the U.S. Maritime Correspondent for the Washington D.C. bureau of Jane’s Defence Weekly and Jane’s Navy International. In his role he covered legislation, acquisition and operations for the Sea Services and spent time underway with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and the Canadian Navy.
Sam is a 2003 graduate of Virginia Military Institute.